The unlikely troupe
by Zedtheawesome
Summary: 4 People from completely different backgrounds meet. What they do with the oppotunities they get, is up to them. (and you guys! leave suggestions for villains, encouner and other elements to the plot and i'll probably add it) Just an intro to the story, introduces characters. Hi Esdeath!


She knew she had someone watching her. Jessamine Valentine always knew these things, and she had gotten used to them. Her skin was a brown-red combination, and her hair was chestnut coloured. Upon her head, there were two horns coming from her forehead, which then curled around to her scalp, and went straight back away from her head for a few inches. She was wearing a leather vest over her loose-fitting white shirt, and a flowing skirt with a slit on one side. Jessamine walked faster, hoping the presence watching her wasn't going to be hostile, because she was missing her black Ebonwood crossbow. If she was caught without that, Jessamine was sure she wouldn't be that able to fight. Her small apartment was nearby, in a tall building made of wood. There was the sound of something flapping above her. She looked, and could've sworn she saw a shadow. Jessamine broke into a run. Being followed wasn't good in the city, Dragonport, named so because it was supposedly built on the lair of a dragon, and was a port city. The tension of being followed would've excited Jessamine, if she weren't defenseless, and now she was in a panic. Faces were appearing in every alley, and sounds being created behind her, though if made by reality or her mind, Jessamine wouldn't dare to check. Thud! There was the sound of something dropping lightly to the ground, then a quick whistle of a blade in the wind, and a gurgle. Jessamine looked back, into the shadows. A silhouette dropped to the ground, clutching its throat, with another cloaked silhouette standing above it with a sword. the cloaked figure looked at her, and Jessamine saw a red-eye flash. And then, as fast as it appeared, the figure disappeared. Who was that? Wondered Jessamine, and why did it save her.

He shouldn't have let her see him. Kurt Black had taken it upon himself to protect this Demi-human. His purple draconian blood made his following people from rooftops easier, but it forced him to stay in the shadows. Signs of his draconian heritage were his scales which started just under his shoulder, and wrapped around to his stomach, and his eyes. They were a dark shade of crimson, with a slitted pupil. But, his most prominent draconian feature were his wings, which he could use for flight, that could be flattened against his back. In addition to just his appearance, his draconian blood allowed him to speak the language of the dragons. He laid his head down on the ragged pillow , and wrapped his wings around himself. The rooftop campsite he made himself didn't get warm.

Jessamine woke in the morning with a start. She felt watched again, but this time, it didn't feel hostile. Her mind wandered to the night before, as it had several times. The red-eye kept flashing in her mind, and she had no idea who it belonged to. The soft morning light came into her window, and hit her on the face. She rose, and got dressed into the same thing she wore last night, the only thing she wore when she wasn't working. Her crossbow had been propped up beside her bed, and she wasn't about to leave her house without it again. She grabbed it, slung it over her shoulder, and left her home. she had a day to buy food with the pitiful amount of money she had

Kurt watched her. He saw her grab the crossbow beside her bed, and he smiled. Smart girl. He, again, entertained thoughts of revealing himself to her today. But, he couldn't. He believed he was, and everyone that ever got close to him met a fateful end. He watched as she left her house, and went to the cheap end of the markets, where the apples were all mouldy and the cheese wasn't. Then, he saw her struggling against some men, and then pushed into a dark alley. Kurt jumped from the roof, and unfurled his wings.

Finding a person willing to pretend to assault her wasn't hard for Jessamine. All she had to do was ask very nicely, and bat her eyes a few times. All men were willing to believe that this attractive, exotic woman was interested in them. The man and his friends grabbed her arms, and she pretended to struggle. All she wanted was to attract her guardian. She heard a familiar flap, the same she heard last night. Then, there were some footsteps above her. Jessamine Looked up, and she saw a winged silhouette against the early sun.

finding out the assault was a ruse was quite easy for Kurt, once he saw it.. He turned around as soon as he realized the men were no threat. They weren't armed, or even that intimidating, but he let himself get seen. Running faster than he had ever ran before, he heard shouts behind him, and the girl scream out for him. But, he didn't care. He kept running, and giving himself quick bursts of flight to cover the distance between buildings. Cursing himself, he internally screamed. How could he not know that he had been! He had sworn to never be found again, but he couldn't even keep an oath given to himself by himself.

She was so close to discovering her guardian, but her trick failed. She had obviously left some thought out, when she was so excited to meet her protector. Of course, he again saved her from having to go through with paying the men who helped her. One look at the bat winged figure, and they were out of the alleyway screaming about a demon. She didn't think that her protector was a demon, but it wasn't completely impossible. Her great-grandfather was a demon, so he might have sent one of his underlings to protect her. But, she didn't think that. She saw the purple light glint off the wings, and demons don't have metallic or shiny skin. But, dragons did. To her though, instead of scaring her, it just made her more inquisitive.

He hid on the roof, skulking for a few days, trying not to think about the girl. He didn't even know her, and somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Her, otherworldly grace. Her dazzling silver eyes, and... No. He had to stop thinking about her. If she saw him, she would die. He had only know one person who had survived knowing him. His grandmother. It wasn't surprising that she had survived his curse, as she was a tough old woman. And also the last person you'd ever want cooking for the family. Kurt thought about it, and decided to go see her.

Jessamine was disgusted with herself, as she felt after every time she worked. She had always vowed to get herself back on her feet, after a few more weeks of saving, but, not all of her customers paid up, and after doing her job, she usually want in the best position to make them pay. And, it wasn't like she could go to the city guard, because they were some if her best customers. But tonight was the worst. She was paid up front by a portly nobleman, and told what service he wanted. And then, afterward, her tried to call a guard, to say that she mugged him. He goo this money back, being noble and all, but then the guards decided they wanted a try. She tried to hold back tears the whole time she was working, and bawled her eyes out after they left. Jessamine picked herself up, and then started walking. She needed to calm down, and there was only one place in the city that was completely safe, and tranquil at night. Once, several years ago, she found a loose boulder, and behind is a large cave with a lake in it. She always moved the boulder back, and was sure only she knew about the cave.

Kurt loved his grandmother, but she was strange, to say the least. She looked about 1/1000 her age, and was knockout gorgeous. Of course, she didn't have to look like that. She was a purple dragon after all, and could look like whatever she wanted. Today, she was a fit young fighter girl, with her long black hair up in a tight pony-tail, as well as a hair band on her head. Across her back, she carried a red spear with a blue head. It looked unique, but nobody knew its real power. It contained all of her draconian power, and if it was broken, she would die. Usually, she had it as a large gemstone, but people had tried to steal it too many times, and so she decided a spear was less likely to be stolen, and if anybody tried she would stick them. She walked with Kurt, her in a light green loose-fitting tunic, and leather pants, and Kurt in a large cloak. They walked in silence, as what they needed to say could only be said in the sanctuary of her lair.

She sat, in pure tranquility, the silence of the cave was amazing, considering it was underneath the biggest port city on this side of Bela. The cave was illuminated by crystals underneath the underground lake, causing the entire cave to be covered in a swath of pale blue light. Though she had never seen any other being in the cave with her own eyes, Jessamine knew, every time she left and came back, something had been here. At first she was mad, but it dawned on her that neither of them had been directly affecting the other, and the other being had been kind enough to let her stay, so she got over her anger, and instead felt safe, knowing that something else was protecting the cave. She enjoyed the quiet for a few moments, Enjoying the release from the noise of life above. But, with a sudden Shriek, her tranquility shattered all around her. She heard heavy beating, steady, sounding like a heartbeat but projected a thousand times louder. Her stomach rose to her throat as an enormous beast flew it. It's body was long and streamlined, elegant, in a ferocious kind of way. All along the body, scales glittered like emeralds, each catching and holding Jessamine's attention. The Dragons legs were powerful, and they looked it, each line of muscle was clearly defined, with the front legs much like a humans arms, ending with humanoid looking draconian hands, with an opposable thumb. The Hindquarters were built for springing up or forward, and were shaped like a dogs back legs, having elongated back feet, ending in four toes. The striking dragons face was topped with regal looking horns, shaped like a crown, and features that made the beast look more beautiful than any noblewoman Jessamine had ever seen. The elegant wings were huge, having to curl around the dragons body as it entered the narrow hole at the top of the cave. upon the dragons back sat a rider, wearing a black cloak with the hood up. she thought she could see a bulge in his back, or a red tinge to the hidden eyes. The creature and its rider landed in the lake, with a huge splash, soaking the rider and the dragon, but the fussy man on the back of the dragon seemed to care much more than the relaxing dragon beneath him. Jessamine panicked, and shook herself from the awe of seeing such an awesome display, and ducked back into her entrance, shielding herself from seeing or being seen by the new arrivals.

He scanned the rocky outcropping of the cave again. Kurt could have sworn he saw someone there when he entered.  
>"Kurt, calm down, I'm sure you're just seeing things . the only entrance is the way we came in, and i didn't see any signs of humans there.<br>"Grandmother, i don't think you or this cave are as secret as you think. Maybe we shouldn't be here."  
>Kurt's Grandmother pouted, "Please, if anyone knows about me, or knows this cave, I'm sure they would have tried to find me and slay me. Besides, Call me by my name, i don't look like your grandmother." She was in the process of changing into a human, her preferred form to swim in, And then went to find clothes, noticing her grandsons' face flush. Kurt should have known his grandmother would do this, as she was pretty much always human in his presence, and human clothes just didn't fit right after she changed into a dragon. Again, Kurt sat, waiting for his grandmother to change. "So, Kurtis. What did you need to talk to me about? Are you finally accepting my offer to live with me?" she questioned, almost hopeful sounding "No Gram, er, I mean Ferox. It's about this girl i've" Kurt heard Ferox cackling like a witch, and then come out in her small-clothes.<br>"so, Kurty boy, it's about a girl. You're in Loooooooove!" She teased him, with a smile the whole time.  
>"No, I'm not in love. I barely know her!" he seemed to quick to respond, and was blushing again, his body betraying his words. "it's that I started to protect her, and then, well. She saw me." "Well, shouldn't a girl see her protector? I'm pretty sure being near her at pretty much all times would require being seen, and therefore, you should be seen to protect her."<br>"Ferox, that's not the point! remember what happened to mom and dad? What about Lorraine? Nora? Celeste? They all knew me, and now there all dead!"  
>"Kurt, Kurt, Kurt" she said in a motherly tone "Your father was a huge mistake of mine, and you are the only good thing to come of that. the only surprising thing about your father is that he didn't die sooner! And your mother was so wrapped around his finger i don't think it was possible for her to not be with him! And as for your Girlfriends, none of those were your fault! Unless, of course, you control bandits, the sea and the city's judiciary system." Kurt nodded his head, slowly.<p>

Jessamine, had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming from excitement. First, her safe spot was a DRAGON'S LAIR! second, her "Protector" Was the dragon's grandson! This was so exciting! They continued to talk, as Jessamine Hid behind her pile of rocks, hanging on every word that was said between these two. She excitedly listened, but the Kurt whispered something, and the cave fell silent, except for a couple beats of the dragons wings, presumably leaving the cave. She waited for a few moments, and then slowly picked up her crossbow, and left the cave. The bright light of the outdoors hurt her eyes, as it alway did after being in the cave for any amount of time, But she continued to push the rock. Smack dab in the middle of the entrance, was a beautiful woman, dressed in a sapphire dress, that hugged her hourglass shape, making Jessamine feel self-conscious about her small proportions, as she unconsciously hugged her body, trying to hide it.  
>"Oh, You are pretty! No need to hide yourself dear, You're beautiful! i can see why my grandson is so enchanted by you!" Jessamine placed a person to the voice immidiately, recognizing it as the dragon she was just eavesdropping on. "My name's Ferox, though i believe you already know.<br>T-then I guess-"  
>"No need to be scared, I'm not going to roast you and eat you alive, because that would anger my grandson, and he's annoying when he's grumpy. Also i presume these horn's aren't just for show, and you have a slight resemblance to an old friend of mine. Wouldn't want him after me, no siree!"<br>Jessamine could feel every beat of her heart heavily, panic flowing through her body. Though this woman didn't seem to harmless, she was a Dragon, and they were notoriously bad for drastic mood swings, going from helping the new person to roasting them and then eating them, within an hour. Jessamine weighed the options in her head, and decided running back to her hovel would be a safer option than gambling against a dangerous monster's mind. She turned, and ran down the road ass fast as she could. Jessamine thought she heard in a deadpan voice "Wait. No. Don't go. Because humans always have to either try to kill, or run away from the dragon." Jessamine Ran, Faster than she ever had. She reached the market, where an auction was taking place, and so she turned into an alleyway. She turned a corner, and looked behind her to make sure she wasn't followed. Thud! She ran right into the man's back. He turned around, with a snarl "Look out where ya goin' girlie!"  
>"sorry..." Jessamine replied, quietly The man looked around, and then grinned, showing all two teeth. "Methinks you should pay me for my trouble." he snarled and drooled out, pulling a wicked looking curved knife. Before Jessamine could pull out her crossbow, she bumped into an even uglier man, whose face was covered in scars. Thug number one Spoke again "So, 'ow about that payment, Girlie?"<p>

Zarthen watched this girl stumble into thugly, and watched her fail at pulling her weapon by bumping into thugly number two. He sighed, and dropped from his perch behind this escalating scene. "Hey, Thugly! I thought we talked about this?" He shouted, no traces of fear in his voice. "No muggings at daylight or when I may be around!" Zarthen Pulled out his sword "I-I didn't know you was there Sarfen! You Could b' right near me anytime!"  
>"So therefore, if I may be near you anytime, no muggings anytime! Or do I have to give you the same face as your brother?" He made his point by flourishing his sword.<br>"N-no sir! We'll be leaving now!" And just like that the thugly brothers were gone, leaving two knives. Now, as a hero would expect, he awaited his just reward

Jessamine was amazed. now she had two protectors? And this one could talk down criminals? And he didn't run away, and just stood there, as if expecting something. Wait, was he expecting something? "Sir? what are you waiting for?" she queried.  
>"My just reward, of course! I'm sure you have something to reward your saviour." He said, not without a hint of slyness.<br>Of course, Jessamine thought. he was just doing a good deed in hope of a reward. but the only things she had were her crossbow and her clothes. As well as money for food, but that wasn't an option. Instead, she thought of a clever reward, and thought to her stories her dad read her, in which the hero got a kiss from the damsel in distress. So she sauntered up to him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "How's that for a reward, Mr. Hero?"

"Chinsy Girl," Zarthen said internally.

Kurt Followed Jessamine, this time on the road. He had left his Grandmother's lair, and followed her advice. All he had to do was protect her better than anybody else in his family. He quickened his pace. Hopefully, this time, he thought, the girl i protect won't be a conwoman, or dumb. Jessamine seemed intelligent, though he had no idea why she walked with strange men at night. As he entered the marketplace, he looked around. other than the regular farmers selling their produce, and city folk buying it, he saw two people who could be dangerous. One of them was a relatively tall man. His Black hair was messy in a way that made it look like he had animal ears. His face looked just as messy, his stubble giving the impression that he had not shaved for a while, yet his large violet eyes seemed bright with energy. in fact, they looked almost glowing. Looking down to his torso, he wore a red robe that was short in the from, but long and tattered in the back. Supplementing that he had chain mail sleeves, and a series of thin steel interlocking plates on his chest, as well as tight leather pants and leather booths with metal covering the shin and toe. On his belt he had a bottle of unknown substance, and a dagger in the front. hanging from the side, he had a blade, it's grip made to look like a scroll, with a amethyst in the bottom, and a guard shaped like arms grasping at the world. The man was perusing a book stand. Three stalls to his left, at a alchemists lab, there was a Dark Kitsune. Her fox-like face was elegant, and looked intelligent, with black fur covering her entire body. Her eyes were golden, and surrounded by white fur, making them the most eye-catching part of her face. She wore a long black leather coat, with a corset on the outside holding it in place. It's high collar made the red velvet inside of it easier to see. She had a hand crossbow strapped to her leg, as well as two daggers across the back of her waist. She also had a bandolier containing several red potions of varying degrees of colour intensity. On her feet she wore combat boots, made with flexible but tough leather dyed black. On the back of her coat, there was a rose with its petal all falling around it, a common charm thought to prevent evil hexes from befalling the wearer. Kurt watched these two for a second, and then decided they were probably just travelers, stocking up for their next outing. He continued on, pulling his heavy cloak tighter around himself. More than anything, Kurt though he needed to find Jessamine. Kurt turned to his right, and then his left, spinning trying to find her. Across the marketplace, he saw her. Her horns, her red hair, her beautiful face. Standing there, awestruck, and anxious, his mouth dried up. He Opened and closed his mouth a few times, and he began his slow walk over to her, Looking down the whole way. His breathing was heavy, despite lack of any activity. Five feet from her, he let his cowardice get the better of him. He would face down a horde of rabid owlbears, but talk to a girl? that was hard. Of course, he could just visit her at night, when she stood by the corners and talked to several men. Yes, he would do that.

Zarthen brushed off his leather pants. He had been following the girl he had saved all day. It wasn't often that he got to meet one of the spell-caster human bloodline. strangely, throughout the day, he felt followed, and even though he was constantly looking over his shoulder, he saw no noticeable repeated stranger. Of course, living with his father had made him paranoid, and empty paranoia may have just been the cause of his suspicions, but he liked to air on the side of caution when it came to being stabbed in the back. As he stood, he looked at the building that the girl had went into a couple of hours ago, and saw her leave, wearing a white blouse, a skirt that left little to imagination, and a vest that showed off her shapely body. of course, now Zarthen knew what she was. He tailed her from a distance, hiding in alleys, and behind market stalls. Then, he saw her stop, and begin to try to sell her "goods." Many people walked up to her, but none went with her that night. That was until, a tall cloaked man walked up to her

This was her protector! From the moment that Kurt had said hello, she knew it was him. She didn't know what to say, and he looked awkward. so much for her hero whisking her away like a dashing rogue. "I can't begin to express my gratitude for you protecting me!" Jessamine blurted out, trying to be courteous. "I... It's not a problem. I don't really have much else to do." Kurt said, trying to smirk at how pathetic that sounded "Nevertheless, i need to thank you. Is there anything i could do for you?" She asked, not fully being innocent.  
>"Uh... Maybe, we could... i don't know, maybe be friends?" He said, awkwardly and not at all how he hoped he would sound.<br>Jessamine was halted by what he said. Be friends? that's it? She Nodded her head, and he grinned like a child. Then, she stated in a monotone voice "But we can't talk now... I'm working."  
>Kurt grabbed her hand, and ran off into an alleyway, turning and weaving without paying attention. "Follow me," he coaxed "I have some money that you can use!" He ran, extremely happy by the turn of events that he let happen, but stopped dead in his track when he saw the man he saw at the book shop earlier.<p>

Zarthen stood in front of the larger man, his hand on front of him. "Listen here, mate. This girls job as what you want her to be, has officially ended." And without another word in common, he chanted "Budk add avai kad" causing the wind to whip up around him, and shoving The stranger back against the brick wall, quite heavily, causing his cloak to fall off, revealing his scaled and wings. Zarthen opened his mouth to say something witty, but was stopped from an authoritarian voice behind him "Stop in the name of The god of the cosmos, Aidualc, or so help me, I will kill you so fast it'll cause anybody watching to have a heart attack!"  
>Zarthen smirked, and replied "Oh, I do love it when a woman takes control of the situation"<br>She growled "If you keep running that mouth of yours, i'll wait, Zarthen? You son of a warlock, is that you?" She sounded less angry and more surprised by the end of the sentence. Zarthen turned to face her "Seraphina!? What are you doing here?"


End file.
